Adjustable anchoring device



Oc t. 4, 1960 HSIANG KAI LEE ADJUSTABLE ANCHORING DEVICE Filed April 11, 1957 INVENTOR. Ham/v4 K41 Lu ADJUSTABLE ANCHORING DEVICE Hsiang Kai Lee, 4838 Underwood St., Detroit 4, Mick.

Filed Apr. 11, .1957, Ser. No. 652,200

1 Claim. (Cl. 50-474) This invention relates to an adjustable anchoring and fastening device useful in locations where only one portion of the device is accessible for adjustment purposes and automatic tightening purposes, as for example, in concrete-embedded anchoring devices for machine legs and column structures, devices for securing door hinges to pressed metal door frames, and devices for anchoring metal building partition panels to partically inaccessible support structures etc.

Objects of the invention are to provide an adjustable anchoring device wherein:

' (l) The device is capable of lateral adjustment for a full three hundred sixty degree range around its longitudinal axis, and is capable of developing fully the struc tural strength of the fastener for proper engineering requirements; I

(2) The device can be embedded in concrete in such manner as to fully develop the bond stresses between the concrete and steel members, thereby utilizing the concrete slab and anchoring bars for preventing pull out of the anchoring device; and

(3) The device can be embedded in concrete .fioors or foundations Without projecting above the floor surface, thereby presenting no obstruction such as might interfere with correct shifting and moving of heavy columns or machine base structures along the smooth floor surface preparatory to their being anchored in place;

(4) The device is easily and quickly installed by a single workman without sacrifice in .adjustability, even when the workman is able to work on one .side only of the panel or othersupporting structure, and

'(5) The device enables an accessible threaded element to reach into an inaccessible threaded element, the arrangement being such that the inaccessible element .is automatically prevented from turning so as to permit tightening of the threaded elements together, this tightening action being'permissible without sacrifice :in adjustability.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claim, reference being had .to'the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view on line 1-1 in Fig. 2 of one embodiment of the invention,

Pig. 2 'is a sectional view on line 2--2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on line 3--3 in Fig. 4 of a second embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 in Fig. 6 of a third embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6 in Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view through a fourth embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 8 is a sectional View on line 8-8 in Fig. 7,

Fig. 9 is a sectional view in the same direction as Fig. 7, but of a fifth embodiment of the invention.

nited tates Patent Before explaining the present invention in detail, itis to be understood that the invention is not limited .-in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In Figs. 1 and v2 there is shown an anchoring device comprisingarectangular box 1 having flat side walls 2, 3, 4 and 5 and an upper wall 6, which is flanged at 7 to .fixedly connect with a sheet metal tube 8. The bottom of box 1 .is closed by a sheet metal cover 9 provided with peripheral flanges .10 having a press fit in the box side walls. Reinforcing rods 11 are positioned on the box upper wall.

Loosely positioned within box 1 is an anchoring element in the form of a nut 12 having opposed parallel flat faces 13 through 16. A securing device in the form of a .bolt 17 extends through tube 8 into meshing engagement with the nut threads. Bolt 17 includes a hexagonal head section 18 and threaded shank section 19.

Prior to the connection of bolt 17 with not 12, the assembly of elements 1, 8, 9, 11 and 12 is set in a partially poured concrete slab. The slab is then completely poured to provide a floor surface 20. By this means the assembly is fixedly embedded in the concrete slab.

In use of the Fig. 1 device, a leveling plate 21 is positioned on surface 20, and the leg 22 of a machine base or building-support column is slid into a desired position with its opening 23 in alignment with any part of the opening provided by tube 8. Bolt 17 is then inserted through opening 23 and tube 8 into mesh with nut 12 through conical depression 28. As the threads on shank 19 enter into the nut threads the nut will begin to .turn with the bolt. However, the rotary movement of the nut is limited by engagement of nut corners 24 through 27 with box side walls 2 through 5. Continued turning of bolt 17 causes it to thread into the nut so as to tighten and fasten down on member 22.

It will be noted that nut 12 is provided with a conical depression 28. This depression insures that shank 19 will always be guided into the nut threads, whether or not the bolt is located centrally along the axis of tube 8. Shank 19 can be positioned at any point in tube 8 and still be guided into mesh with nut 12.

The spacing 29 between the fiat faces 13 through 16 and Walls 2 through 5 is the same as the spacing 30 between shan'k 19 and tube 8; as a result nut 12 can be positioned at any location in box 1 without causing its threaded opening to be out of alignment with the opening provided by tube 8. Spacing 29, 3% enables member 22 to be located with its opening 23 at any point in alignment with the tube 8, i.e., the axis of opening 23 can be offset laterally from the axis of tube 3.

'The 'Fig. 1 structure is advantageous in that it permits adjustment of member 22 in all lateral. directions so as to compensate for differences in the relative position of opening '23 withrespect to .its neighboring opening. When the device is not used for anchoring purposes there are no elements projecting above surface 29 such as might obstruct movement of machines, skids, rollers, or humans. The installation costs for machines and columns are lowered because these heavy mechanisms need not be laboriously lifted over projecting portions of the anchoring devices. Because of the lack of projecting portions floor surface 20 can be initially made perfectly smooth and flat, thereby eliminating the need for grouting under member 22 during its installation operation. Since the anchoring device is embedded beneath a thick annular concrete section 31 there is no danger that box 1 can be pulled out of the concrete slab by external forces working on member 22. Box 1 and tube 8 can be low strength materials, since concrete section 31 provides the primary obstruction to pull out of nut 12.

The Fig. 3 device is similar to the Fig. 1 device. However, the box and tube corresponding to box 1 and tube 8 are elongated in the arrow 32 direction so as to provide for increased adjustability of the anchoring element in the arrow 32 direction.

The anchoring element in the Fig. 3 device takes the form of a bolt 33 having a threaded section 34 and an internally threaded coupling section 35. The securing device takes the form of a bolt 36. This device is especially adapted for use in relatively heavy installations.

In use of the Fig. 3 device the machine leg 22 is positioned over tube 8' until its opening 23 is aligned with any part of the tube opening. Thereafter bolt 36 is threaded down into mesh with coupling 35. Since the upper end of coupling 35 is very near the accessible face of the concrete slab it can be easily aligned with opening 23 after or during movement of member 22 to its desired position.

The Fig. 1 nut and bolt could be utilized in the Fig. 3 housing in place of members 33, 35 and 36. In such an event nut 12 could be inserted through tube 8 after embedment of the housing in the concrete slab.

The Fig. device is similar to the Fig. 1 device. However, the box corresponding to box 1 is not positioned beneath the thick annular concrete section 31. Instead the upper wall of the box is constructed as a relatively heavy plate 37, and anchoring bars 38 and 39 are extended down into the concrete slab.

Bars 38 and 39 include flanges 40 and 41 welded at 42 onto plate 37, leg sections 43, and web sections 44. Web sections 44 are prevented from pulling out of the slab by the superjacent thick concrete section 45. The lower faces 46 of web sections 44 transmit any downward vertical load from member 22 onto subjacent concrete mass 47. Welds 42 are not required to take any appreciable load. Flanges 40 and 41 serve the double purpose of (l) reinforcing plate 37 against bending forces, and (2) securely anchoring nut 12 and member 22 in place.

The Fig. 7 device is utilized in blind hole applications such as are encountered in securing door hinges to pressed metal door frames, and in anchoring metal building panels onto support structures having only one accessible face.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a wall 50 having an accessible face 51 and an inaccessible face 52. Wall 50 is initially formed with a concealed abutment structure 53 fixed onto its inaccessible face. Abutment structure 53 is provided with opposed parallel faces 54 which extend into a recess 55 in an anchoring element 56. Element 56 is provided with a threaded shank 57 extending through an opening 8" in wall 50 into mesh with a nut 59. An element 22 is adapted to be adjustably mounted onto wall 50 by tightening of nut 59 onto the threads of shank 57. The lateral spacing between shank 57 and opening 8" is the same as the lateral spacing between surfaces 54 and the surfaces 60 formed by recess 55. As a result element 56 can be laterally adjusted to any desired position within opening 8". However, the spacing between opposed ones of corners 61 is slightly more than the spacing between the opposed ones of surfaces 60. As a result element 56 can only rotate a limited amount before its surfaces 60 lock against corners 61. This construc-.

tion enables nut 59 to be tightened onto shank 57.

The Fig. 9 construction is similar to the Fig. 7 construction except that anchoring element 56' is secured in position by means of a screw 59' which threads into a threaded bore 65 in element 56'. The secured element in this instance is a hinge having two leaves 66 and 67. The Fig. 9 structure is advantageous in that element 56 does not project into an obstruction-forming position beyond surface 51 when in its non-use condition.

The term inaccessible is used herein in a relative sense, it being appreciated that all surfaces are accessible if enough adjacent structure is physically removed. The upper interior surface of box 2 is quite inaccessible while surface 52 may be inaccessible to a lesser degree, i.e., surface 52 may be inconvenient of easy access by a single workman, although accessible to a second workman located adjacent surface 52. The invention has use in situations where only one workman is available to install the anchoring device, and that workman cannot conveniently reach both the anchoring element and securingelement.

I claim:

In an anchoring mechanism the combination comprising a section of concrete flooring; a rectangular box embedded within said concrete section at a substantial distance below the floor line; said box having an opening throughits upper portion; a hollow tube having a cross section corresponding to and mating with the box opening, and extending upwardly from the box through the concrete; a nut loosely positioned within the box having opposed side faces thereof spaced from one another by a materially lesser distance than the spacing between opposite side walls of the box whereby to provide a limited lateral adjustment of the nut in all horizontal directions; the opposed corners formed by the nut side faces being spaced from one another by a greater distance than the spacing between two opposite side walls of the box to limit rotary movement of the nut; the spacing between opposed side faces of the nut being materially greater than a lateral dimension of the tube to cause substantial areas of the nut upper face to at all times underlie the annular section of concrete surrounding the tube; the nut upper face defining a centrally disposed recess flaring upwardly and laterally from the nut threaded area for a substantial lateral extent to provide a guide surface for shifting of the nut and facilitating entry of an anchor bolt shank portion into mesh with the nut threads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES'PATENTS 1,089,874 Smith Mar. 10, 1914 1,646,431 Tomkinson Oct. 25, 1927 1,726,532 Andel Sept. 3, 1929 1,768,246 Gaddis June 24, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS I 983,089 ,France Feb. 7, 1951 

